Llano battles quick and run-heavy Smithville in opener on the road
JENNIFER FIERRO • STAFF WRITER
LLANO — The Llano High School football team is looking to build on a successful 2015 when the Yellow Jackets captured a bi-district championship.
That journey begins against Smithville at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 26 at Barry Field, located on Bishop and Sixth streets in Smithville.
“Everybody’s expectations each year are set really high, and you’re really hoping everything can go well,” head coach Craig Slaughter said. “You have big aspirations of what you and your team can accomplish this year. You put a lot of time and work into this night and look forward to, hopefully, looking sharp and playing well.”
The Tigers of District 10-4A Division II are led by their defense, specifically senior middle linebacker D.J. Chandler, who had 59 total tackles including 35 solo tackles in 2015, and junior defensive tackle Kaleb Barho.
Llano head coach Craig Slaughter said Smithville has played two very different offensive opponents during its scrimmages. One was a Slot-T offense, which utilizes misdirection to run the football, and the other was a spread offense, which aims to throw short passes for big yards.
“Doesn’t help me when I watch film,” he noted. “They definitely have some size on their defensive line.”
The Jackets (District 13-4A Division II) will counter with the best group of linemen they’ve had in several seasons led by junior Ray Dixon. Llano has simply been superb during its scrimmages in opening holes for returning starter Mason Greenwood, a junior running back who ran for 1,057 yards a year ago.
“It’s a game our offensive line needs to play well,” Slaughter said. “We hope to see Mason Greenwood cranked up and running through some holes inside the tackle box. We hope to have a really good game running the ball.”
Also returning is junior quarterback Ben Walling, who took over as the starter about the middle of the 2015 season.
The Smithville offense is led by a pair of juniors: quarterback Zach Kirby and running back Nomar Rivera, who had 227 total yards and averaged 8.4 yards a carry.
“They seem to be a spread team that runs the ball more than anything else,” Slaughter said. “They definitely have some quick kids.”
Last season, Smithville was 1-9 overall and 0-4 in district play. Slaughter believes that has a lot to do with who else is in the district: powerhouses Giddings and LaGrange.
“They definitely deal with some extremely strong programs throughout the years, but we feel that it’s a chance to be a good opener for us,” he said. “We’re excited about the opportunity.”
Check out Llano’s full schedule at KBEYFM.com.
jfierro@thepicayune.com